Monday, December 03, 2012

Government advancing Ramat Shlomo project

Amidst international pressure over E-1 and the 3,000 new housing units announced by the government on Friday, the interior ministry has decided to push ahead with the construction of 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo, a neighborhood well within Jerusalem city limits (located on land that was no man's land before 1967), but which much of the world regards as 'east' Jerusalem.

The Interior Ministry's District Planning and Construction Committee
will discuss the project in just two weeks, according to Jerusalem
deputy mayor Yossi Deitsch (UTJ), who told reporters he was pushing the
project to show Jerusalem's sovereign right to build in the capital.

The
project already became a major source of international controversy as
part of the "Biden Fiasco," when the project was approved for deposit
during the US vice president's visit to Israel in March 2010. Following
the incident, the Prime Minister's Office instituted "increased
mechanisms" to ensure they are involved and updated about all east
Jerusalem building projects. The discussion is set for December 17 in
the District Committee.

Ramat Shlomo is one of five Jerusalem ring
neighborhoods, along with Gilo, Ramot, Pisgat Zev, and East Talpiyot,
which are located across the 1967 Green Line. The District Planning and
Construction Committee last discussed the project in August of 2011,
during the height of the social justice tent protests, when Yishai
trumpeted the project as a way to build affordable housing for young
people.

This is kind of ridiculous. There is absolutely no chance in the world that the government is going to abandon Ramat Shlomo in negotiations. Even the 'Palestinians' agreed with Olmert in 2008 that Ramat Shlomo is staying with Israel. So to say that Israel cannot build there is pathetic.

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About Me

I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-three years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 10 to 31 years and seven grandchildren. Our eldest daughter and eldest son are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com